Margaret Qualley Joins Death Stranding Cast After Unique Perfume Ad Dance

Hideo Kojima has disclosed that he cast Margaret Qualley as Mama in Death Stranding after being captivated by her performance in a Spike Jonze-directed fragrance advertisement for Kenzo. On April 25, Kojima shared the viral commercial on his Twitter account, stating, "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding."

The advertisement features Qualley executing a dynamic dance routine to a pulsating bass track, reminiscent of the iconic Fat Boy Slim video, "Weapon of Choice," which showcased Christopher Walken's dance moves. In the Kenzo ad, Qualley's performance is characterized by unique choreography that includes shaking, grimacing, and even firing lasers from her fingers, as she struggles to control her movements.

In Death Stranding, Qualley portrays Mama, also known as Målingen, a brilliant scientist within the United Cities of America. She, along with her twin sister Lockne, whom Qualley also plays, is instrumental in developing the Chiral Network, a revolutionary communications system that facilitates instant data transfer for Bridges.

You can view the full, eccentric, and highly engaging Kenzo fragrance advertisement below:

I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding. https://t.co/UDJa2NjbO6

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) April 25, 2025

Fans on social media were quick to respond to Kojima's tweet, with one calling him "a visionary," and another humorously suggesting, "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."

Currently, Hideo Kojima is involved in multiple projects, including Death Stranding 2, set to release on June 26, 2025, a live-action Death Stranding film in collaboration with A24, the Xbox-published game OD, which he describes as "a game I have always wanted to make," and a new PlayStation-exclusive action espionage project.